A city of roughly 18,000, Lenoir sits amid the foothills of west-central North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Founded as Tucker’s Barn around 1765, Lenoir gained broad recognition in the late 19th century as a major furniture-making center. The city’s proximity to vast tracts of mountain woodlands makes it a favorite destination for summer vacationers in general and campers in particular. Tent and RV campers can choose from four campgrounds within a 20-mile radius of Lenoir.

Green Mountain Park Resort

Less than 5 miles north-northeast of downtown Lenoir, sprawling Green Mountain Park Resort (rvonthego.com) covers nearly 1,100 acres of hilly woodlands. Reserved for RVs only, the resort has 325 sites with full hookups, including cable TV, as well as an additional 33 rental cabins and campers. Typically open from mid-February until early November, the resort offers a wide array of amenities, including an activities center, children’s playground, dance hall with stage, coin-operated laundry facilities, general store, clubhouse, and bathhouses with hot showers and restrooms. Recreational facilities include two swimming pools, a miniature golf course, sports courts, horseshoe pits, hiking trails and a fishing pier.

Boone's Fork Campground

If you’re looking for a more primitive camping experience, Boone’s Fork Campground (visitnc.com) in nearby Pisgah National Forest may be just the place for you. Roughly 10 miles from Lenoir, the campground has 14 sites, each with a parking pad, picnic table and fire pit. However, no utility hookups are available, making this destination best suited for tents or self-contained RVs. Campers do have access to potable water supplies and vault toilets. A network of hiking and mountain biking trails crisscrosses the national forest.

Brown Mountain Beach Resort

Fifteen miles west of Lenoir, Brown Mountain Beach Resort (brownmountainbeach.com) is a resort complex that offers campsites as well as cottage rentals. Established more than 100 years ago, the resort lies within the Wilson Creek area, which once was a vibrant center of the state’s forest products industry. Campsites at the resort’s 22-acre campground -- both tent and RV -- are available only by advance registration. RV sites, located close to the waters of Wilson Creek, feature full hookups, as well as picnic tables, fire rings and complimentary Wi-Fi. Level tent camping sites are spaced far enough apart to ensure privacy. Within walking distance of both RV and tent sites are private bathhouses with hot showers and restrooms. Recreational activities include hiking, mountain biking and trout fishing.

Riders' Roost Motorcycle Resort & Campground

If you’re touring the North Carolina countryside on a motorcycle, stop and rest at Riders’ Roost Motorcycle Resort & Campground (ridersroost.com), where you can enjoy the company of fellow bikers. Its campground offers no-frills tent campsites, many in the shade of towering hardwood trees. The tent camping area is a short walk from a mountain stream. If you’d prefer cushier quarters, Riders’ Roost offers simple camping cabins, deluxe cabins and even luxury suites. Whether you pitch a tent or opt for a cabin, you can avail yourself of the resort’s facilities, which include a camp store, storage lockers, hot showers, restrooms and firewood. If you arrive during the dog days of summer, cool off in Riders’ Roost’s swimming hole at the river.

About the Author

Don Amerman has spent his entire professional career in the editorial field. For many years he was an editor and writer for The Journal of Commerce. Since 1996 he has been freelancing full-time, writing for a large number of print and online publishers including Gale Group, Charles Scribner’s Sons, Greenwood Publishing, Rock Hill Works and others.